Accompanying Spouse/Child Visas

Immigration - a family matter

Different countries have different regulations for accompanying families, though few seek to cause a separation or other form of family tension. US visa law, for example, does not recognize common-law relationships, such as life partners or fiancées. You must be formally married. Australia, on the other hand, recognizes same-sex partners – anyone with whom the main applicant has been living for at least 12 months.

Both there and in many other countries (the list is subject to change), accompanying spouses/partners will get a work permit if the main applicant is on a working visa.

The US’s B2 visa, for example (that is the accompanying spouse visa adjoining a B1 business visa), must be renewed at 6-month intervals; in other places, the accompanying visa is renewed alongside the main applicant’s visa.

In Australia, bringing children can be a costly option, since the applicant must prove he/she has sufficient funds for school fees, in addition to other expenses.

In most countires, sponsoring family visas is enabled by levels of proximity – spouses and children first, parents, then siblings and so forth. The primary visa holder, though, must usually fulfil age requirements. However, care must be taken. For example, in the UK, a resident alien who overstays abroad (to care for a sick parent, for example) may be denied re-entry, thereby causing a domestic split.

On the other hand, ‘family reunification’ is often sufficient rason to provide family members with a visa in order to reunite with a family member already residing in a host country. In fact, 75% of all new immigrants to the US do so on the basis of family reunification.

Marriage migration is a sub-clause of family reunification that has come under the spotlight in recent years, due to the ills of human trafficking.

CIS Application’s team of specialists are highly experienced in immigration services, and can help you immigrate, work and study abroad. All visa applications are serviced by members of the respective national immigration lawyers associations.

CIS application is Owned and Operated by ABC OPTIMIZE SERVICES LIMITED, Botsari 4, Aglanzia, 2122, Nicosia, Cyprus.
The information requested by CIS Applications is in accordance with the rules and regulations of the respective countries involved and provides that visa issuance and refusal records shall be considered confidential and shall be used only for the preparation of applications. Certified copies of visa records may be made available to a court which certifies that the information contained in such records is needed in a case pending before the court.
The information provided on this site is not legal advice, but – rather – general information on issues commonly associated with immigration matters. It should serve as the basis for any conclusion regarding any individual's situation or case. CIS Applications is not sponsored by or affiliated with any government or government agency; nor are we a law firm, and we should not be used as a substitute for legal advice of an attorney on matters of legal rights, legal remedies, legal defenses, legal options or legal strategies, selection of forms, or answers to specific questions on forms. CIS Applications only provides self-help services at a user's direction. CIS Applications customer support is for technical and billing issues only and will not answer legal questions. Communications between you and CIS Applications are not protected by any privilege. Purchase and assistance prices do not include application or filing fees that may be charged by any government agency. Your access to and use of the CIS Application website, and any purchase made using this website, is subject to CIS Applications Terms & Conditions to which you agree to be bound by dint of usage of this site and/or making any purchase through it.